


Bottled Up

by EvilMuffins



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Backstory, F/F, Fandom Stocking 2016, First Meetings, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-13 19:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9137536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/pseuds/EvilMuffins
Summary: Malva couldn’t remember anyone having such confidence in her before. It made her head swim. She never did enjoy swimming.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady_Katana4544](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Katana4544/gifts).



“Diantha, can you tell me how it feels to be not only an award-winning actress, but also the newest League Champion?” the reporter asked, bringing the mic near Diantha’s lips, carefully, deliberately, if as feeding her a chocolate.

“Well,” Diantha began, clasping her hands together in front of her white skirt, not a wrinkle or stain upon it despite the battles she had just fought. Already, she was the picture of grace, and at such a young age. Malva wanted to barf. “It feels as if I’m just taking on a new role, that’s all, and I hope that anyone who comes to challenge me will enjoy themselves, just as they might have while watching one of my films.”

Forget barfing, Malva wanted to scream.

How anyone did this job without wanting to dash their mic to ground after speaking to every simpering goody-goody, she had no clue.

“That’s lovely! Very inspiring, Diantha. There you have it folks, Kalos’s newest Champion!”

Malva heaved out a sigh as she jammed the mic back into the camera man’s hand after he had clicked off the device, grabbing instead for a Fresh Water from the cooler and downing half the bottle. Diantha wandered over to her, like a Ducklett that had imprinted on the first thing it saw, Malva thought bitterly. How could anyone like this be the Kalos Champion? Malva certainty hadn’t been cut out for it, that much was certain- clean out of Max Revives after only two Elite Four members. She didn’t like to think about it often (every night at two AM sharp wasn’t considered ‘often’, was it?). The plan was to take a year or two off, relying on her fall-back job before trying again. She had heard that promising runner-ups could sometimes snag an Elite Four slot, if they weren't quite cut out for Champion- especially if any of the older members had the good sense to croak.

“Malva, was it?” Diantha offered a hand; Malva took it without hesitation, a habit quickly ingrained in her line of work. “I haven’t seen you on air before. Are you new?”

“I am. This is my first time out in the field, in fact,” Malva declared, proud despite herself.

“Oh, congratulations! I hope that I didn’t make you too nervous or anything…”

“Oh no, not at all. I’m just honored that my first job has granted me the opportunity to speak with someone so talented.”

Diantha smiled. “You’re sweet. I’m sure that everyone back home will be so proud of how professional you came off today.”

“Tch.” Finally, Malva could no longer help herself, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. “There’s no one watching back home unless you count my Torkoal, and he sleeps all day.”

“That’s too bad…” Diantha looked genuinely upset on her behalf. This surprised Malva. Somehow she had always imagined celebrities as pre-programed robots, soulless dress up dolls. “I’ll tell you what! How about I become your biggest fan? I’ll watch as many of your broadcasts as I can…and you know that Holocaster thing they’re working on? When you get a program on there, I’ll be sure to buy one!”

 _‘When’_ not ‘ _if’_. Malva couldn’t remember anyone having such confidence in her before. It made her head swim. She never did enjoy swimming.

“That…That would be great,” Malva replied, fiddling with the bottle she still held as she considered taking a sip just so she could shut her mouth and think about the current proceedings.

“Oh! Fresh Water!" Diantha exclaimed. "I didn’t realise how thirsty I’d gotten during that interview! You sure know how to run a girl ragged.”

Perhaps it was due to the way Malva was holding the bottle- outward, en route to her own mouth- but Diantha seemed to take it as an offering, plucking it from Malva's hand before finishing the rest off and tossing it into the recycle.

Malva stood stunned as Diantha bid her farewell, leaving for perhaps her chambers in the league building, perhaps to her other home in Lumiose, or maybe to the moon for all Malva knew.

After the other woman had disappeared, Malva spun on her heel, storming past the rest of the camera crew, and out into the fresh air.

She tried to, but a man- imposing, hair fanned out round his head like an elaborate festival crown- stopped her, grabbing rudely at her arm just before the door.

“I saw how you looked you at her,” the man pointed out helpfully, as if cluing her in about spinach stuck between her teeth. “You have an eye for beauty, don’t you? I have a proposition for one such as yourself…”

 

_end_


End file.
